1256 Bulletin 4.7, United States National Museum. 



patch of teeth, with backward prolongation on the median line, its length 

 about twice its width in front. Gill rakers rather short and thick, their 

 length about \ diameter of eye, about 8 on lower arch, with no rudimen- 

 tary ones before them. Preopercle with its posterior margin nearly verti- 

 cal, with a rather broad and deep emargination. Preopercle finely serrate 

 above, the teeth coarser at the angle. Scales comparatively large, the 

 rows in horizontal series below the lateral line, those above running par- 

 allel with the lateral line until below the soft dorsal, where they become 

 slightly irregular and oblique; 7 rows of scales on cheek; an embedded 

 row on interopercle ; 1 row on subopercle, and 7 on opercle; temporal 

 region with about 3 rows of large scales; top of head, snout, and jaws 

 naked ; base of soft dorsal and anal scaly ; tubes of lateral line branched. 

 Dorsal spines rather strong, the outline of the fin gently convex, the fourth 

 spine longest, 2| in head, the tenth spine 4 in head ; margin of soft dorsal 

 rounded, the ninth and tenth rays longest, 1^ length of first, and If last 

 ray, 2 in head; caudal emarginate, the upper lobe longest, \\ length of 

 middle rays, which are If in head ; anal fin high, its margin slightly angu- 

 late, the middle rays longest, 2 times length of last ray, 2^ in head, first 

 ray reaching almost to tip of last ray, when the fin is depressed ; second 

 anal spine as long or slightly longer and stronger than third, 3^ to 4 in 

 head; ventrals If in head; pectorals shortish, scarcely reaching vent, If in 

 head. Color in life, very dark green above, the middle part of each scale 

 brassy-black, its edge broadly pearly whitish ; below lateral line the duski- 

 ness of the middle of the scale passes into brassy, and below into bright 

 coppery, the belly and lower parts of head being more or less distinctly 

 bright coppery-red; the lower jaw grayish; no blue stripe below eye, 

 except in the very young ; top of head blackish-olive ; dorsal blackish, its 

 margin darker and tinged with maroon-red; soft dorsal dusky, anteriorly 

 slightly edged with whitish; caudal violaceous or maroon black; anal 

 wine-color, edged with whitish; pectorals pale flesh- color; ventrals whit- 

 ish, faintly marked with reddish. Young with a blackish band from snout 

 through eye to nape, very distinct in life ; a blue streak below eye ; spi- 

 nous dorsal with a dark maroon-colored band along edge. Described from 

 a specimen from Key West, 11 inches in length. Fishes from deep water 

 are much redder than those taken near the shore. In no case is the caudal 

 yellowish or of any pale shade. West Indies; ranging from New Jersey 

 to Brazil. 'This species is very common along our South Atlantic and Gulf 

 coasts and occasionally strays northward as far as Woods Hole, being the 

 northernmost in its range of any member of the genus in the Atlantic. It 

 is everywhere generally known as gray snapper. In Florida and the 

 Bahamas, where the coasts are lined by mangrove bushes among which 

 the young of this species abound, the name mangrove snapper conies into 

 use. It inhabits water of varying depths, large specimens being often 

 found very near the shore, while others may be taken in waters of consid- 

 erable depth in company with Neomcenis aya. These latter individuals are 

 much redder than those found in shoal water ; their general color is paler 

 and the body is a trifle less elongate. Such correspond to the form named 

 Lutianus stearnsi. (griscus, gray.) 



